The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has intensified its enforcement operations across the country, targeting unlicensed productions, sexually explicit music videos, and inappropriate content displayed in public service vehicles (PSVs), in a move that pits the regulator against filmmakers and artists who accuse it of overreach.
The crackdown, which spans digital platforms, public transport, and the formal film industry, comes amid a complex legal landscape following a landmark Court of Appeal ruling earlier this year that struck down certain coercive powers of the Board while leaving its broader censorship mandate intact.
In its most recent operation, the KFCB announced it had partnered with the National Police Service to conduct nationwide inspections of PSVs fitted with screens, aiming to ensure that matatus display only child-friendly content as schools close for the holiday season.
“Protecting children from exposure to inappropriate audiovisual content, both online and offline, is a collective responsibility that requires the vigilance and active participation of all stakeholders,” the Board stated, urging the public to report violations via email or social media.
The regulator’s enforcement reach extended significantly into the digital sphere in October, when it ordered Kamba Benga musician Alex Kasau, popularly known as Katombi, to remove his “Wikend” music video from YouTube and all other platforms.
The KFCB claimed the video contained “sexually explicit content, nudity and indecent exposure, while depicting substance abuse, alcohol consumption and tobacco use”.
The Board confirmed it had partnered with Google Kenya to execute the takedown, stating that the video had been released without the necessary licence or classification under the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap. 222.
The current crackdown is rooted in the KFCB’s longstanding mandate to regulate film and broadcast content to conform to “Kenya’s culture, moral values and national aspirations”.
However, the Board’s history is marked by high-profile clashes with the creative community, most notably the 2018 ban of Wanuri Kahiu’s film Rafiki for “promoting lesbianism”.
That ban triggered a years-long legal battle that culminated in a significant, if partial, legal shift in January 2026.
The Court of Appeal declared unconstitutional Section 9(1) of the Films and Stage Plays Act – which had permitted the KFCB to use force in film regulation beyond situations involving danger to persons, property, or animals – and Section 16(3), which allowed the Board to retain excised parts of a film.
While the court upheld the Board’s general authority to limit expression on grounds of public morality, the ruling placed new limits on how the regulator can seize or destroy creative material.
“This ruling confirms that in Kenya, artistic expression can still be curtailed on broad moral and cultural grounds, even when it poses no harm,” said Mugambi Kiai, Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa.
“While the Court placed some limits on coercive state power, it left intact a censorship system that risks chilling artistic creativity, public debate, and access to information”.
Earlier in the year, the KFCB issued a three-month ultimatum to filmmakers, distributors, and broadcasters to submit unlicensed works for classification by June 4, 2026, warning that non-compliant films would face bans.
The Board noted that many filmmakers were unable to commercially exploit their work or enter film festivals due to non-compliance, framing the crackdown as a measure to protect industry revenue as much as public morals.
However, the regulatory pressure has drawn criticism from creatives who argue the Board’s classification process is opaque and overly moralistic.
The 2026 Court of Appeal ruling, while limiting the Board’s physical seizure powers, did not dismantle the classification framework that activists say disproportionately targets LGBTQ+ content and artistic expression deemed morally questionable.
The crackdown is unfolding under new leadership. Nelly Muluka, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, has publicly emphasised a dual approach of regulation and industry support, pledging at a Mombasa film premiere in February that the KFCB aims for “a regulatory environment that is predictable, responsive, and supportive of innovation”.
